By Amanda C. Gregg
Cheri, Tom and Bethany Hamilton, Sarah Hill, Noah, Becky and Tim Hamilton. Amanda C. Gregg photo
Such pride we have for our North Shore hero Bethany Hamilton, and now again she’s given the island something to be proud of: A well-made movie telling her story. If I had a few words to describe Soul Surfer, I’d say it’s a mix of inspired awe, respect and gratitude.
Awe in how quickly she got back on that surfboard (within a month after the shark attack), respect for her courage and gratitude for reminding everyone that compassion moves us to do great things. If ever there was courage encapsulated, it’s in Hamilton’s story – and lest we forget how young she was, 13, when all of this happened – and she handled it with more courage and resilience than almost any adult could. Add that she is a gorgeous, talented and agile athlete, and it’s no wonder that we want everyone to remember she is from Kaua’i.
Nalani Thain’s winning art
There’s a great scene in the film following the attack where Hamilton travels with her Christian group to Phuket, Thailand, after the 2004 tsunami and teaches a young boy (who has lost his family and is justifiably afraid of the water) to surf. Talk about chickenskin. At the end of the movie, we learn this scene wasn’t just Hollywood hyperbole, as we see photos of Hamilton with the little boy on the surfboard on a split screen alongside the credits. Other inspired images during that time include a shot of her as the first pitch honoree for the Oakland A’s and the New York Yankees, along with a list of her accolades which include winning the FOX Teen Choice Courage Award, the Wahine O Ke Kai Award at the SIMA Waterman’s Ball, being an Olympic Torch honoree and named Woman of the Year by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Despite all that recognition, one poignant comment Hamilton’s brother Noah made at the film premiere was that she is grateful to the island’s residents for keeping her life normal, which he said, his sister “cherishes.”
Well, we cherish you, Bethany. Here’s to you. Your movie is going to be huge, and we know you won’t forget the “little people” …
I'd like to also congratulate theo winners of the American Girl drawing contest sponsored by Kaua’i Visitors Bureau and Kaua’i Monk Seal Watch Program. The contest comes just a few months after Kaua’i's Kanani Akina American Girl doll won the company’s 2011 Girl of the Year award. Drawing contest winners included in the 8- to 10-year-old category: Isabella Fox (first place), Brooke Kanna (second place) and Sarah Santos (third place); and in the 11- to 12-year-old category: Nalani Thain (first place), Camryn Garcia (second place) and Grace Yatsko (third place). Kudos to Kaua’i Visitors Bureau executive director Sue Kanoho and author Lisa Yee, who helped share Kaua’i's aloha spirit with the rest of the world by putting a doll like Kanani Akina in the spotlight. Akina, a multiethnic doll with a rich community of ohana who celebrates Hawai’i's cultural traditions and cares about issues like saving the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, also dances hula, does standup paddleboarding and eats shave ice. Hana maika’i, ladies …
